Matthew Macfadyen opens up about watching wife Keeley Hawes' sex scenes

Matthew Macfadyen has revealed that his wife Keeley Hawes' sex scenes with Richard Madden in Bodyguard, 'touched a nerve'

Matthew MacFadyen wife
(Image credit: Karwai Tang / Contributor / Getty Images)

Matthew Macfadyen has revealed that he felt uncomfortable when watching his wife Keeley Hawes have sex in the BBC TV show Bodyguard.

Matthew Macfadyen who currently stars in the HBO drama series Succession has revealed that he has previously felt 'weird' when watching his wife Keeley Hawes' sex scenes.  Keeley who is known for starring in series such as Finding Alice and The Durrells starred in the hit BBC show Bodyguard in 2018.

In this series, the star had various hot and heavy scenes with her Game of Thrones co-star Richard Madden, which Matthew admits was 'weird' to watch.


In an interview with The Times, the star spoke openly about being married to a fellow actor and candidly revealed that it can be quite strange to watch your wife have sex with another man on prime time TV.

Matthew revealed, “You can get quite close to the actors you’re working with and all that stuff. It’s odd.”  When asked by the interviewer, "Is it uncomfortable to see your wife in other men’s arms?" Macfadyen reportedly shrugged and responded, “It’s just weird.” 

The actor was then asked "Does it ever touch a nerve?" to which he replied, “It does, a little bit.” However, he did admit that even though it can be uncomfortable to watch, he understands that the reality of the sex scene is far from romantic in real life. “It’s the least sexy thing you can possibly imagine,” said Matthew.

Bodyguard series 2

(Image credit: BBC)

Matthew also mentioned his hit film Pride and Prejudice which was released in 2005 and starred Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennett and Matthew as the brooding Mr. Darcy.

Matthew revealed that although his performance has since been adored by fans, at the time he didn't feel 'dishy enough' to play the handsome Mr. Darcy and struggled to play this sexy romantic character.

Matthew said his portrayal of Darcy was, “a sort of terrible adolescent fury, because I was just scared. And Keeley was pregnant with Maggie at the time. While I was in this film thinking, ‘F***, I’m going to screw this up.’ ”

The star also admitted that after the classic Jane Austen film, he was offered, “slew of romantic comedies, sort of B-movies. You think, ‘I’ve just done this, I can’t just do a crappier version.’ So I sat at home with the baby, being Mr. Darcy, getting fatter and fatter and fatter.”

Despite this low point more than 15 years ago, Matthew has gone from strength to strength in recent years and even revealed that he and his wife are collaborating on an upcoming project.

Matthew MacFadyen

Matthew MacFadyen and Keeley Hawes

(Image credit: Alan Weller / Contributor / Getty Images)

Matthew and Keeley first met on the set of the hit show Spooks in 2002 and the couple attracted a lot of media attention. This is because when they first met Keeley was still with her first husband who is father to her eldest son Myles.

In the interview, Matthew dismissed the rumors that surrounded them at the time and said, “there wasn’t really a story, a break-up, and a get-together and all that”.

Since working on Spooks together, the couple has also been reunited on the screen on Ashes to Ashes and the film Death at a Funeral.

The couple will also be working together on an upcoming project that they are not able to discuss just yet. However, the actor did admit that although it may not be odd for him to work with his wife considering they met on a set, they will struggle to have any privacy.

“Well, we met on set. Everyone will know when we’re having a row. That’s always the way,” said Matthew.

Laura Harman

Laura is the Entertainment Editor for woman&home who primarily covers television, film, and celebrity news. Laura loves drinking and eating and can often be found trying to get reservations at London's trendiest restaurants. When she's not wining and dining, Laura can also be found travelling, baking, and hiking with her dog.